New York Welsh
31 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 63 ratingsA window into the lives and achievements of Welsh people in New York.
Hosted by Gideon Jensen and Richard Swain, each episode features a different guest and their unique story. Often funny, sometimes sad, but always honest and inspirational.
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Mewnwelediad i fywydau a chyflawniadau y Cymry yn Efrog Newydd.
Wedi ei chyflwyno gan Gideon Jensen a Richard Swain, mae pob pennod yn taro sylw ar westeion gwahanol a’u hanes unigryw.
Yn aml yn ddoniol, weithiau’n drist, ond bob amser yn onest ac yn ysbrydoledig.
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Episodes
Episode 30: Independent Spirit - Rebecca Hurn
November 16, 2020 02:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MBRebecca Hurn is an independent singer-songwriter from Porthcawl, in South Wales. Before writing and releasing her own music, Rebecca built up a fan following by recording acoustic cover songs and sharing them online. In September 2015 Rebecca released her debut EP ‘Lions’ which reached no. 5 in the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts. With the release of her second EP ‘Waves’ in April 2018, Rebecca became a BBC Radio Wales 'A list recording Artist’ and, in June 2019, she won ‘Best Singer-Songwri...
Episode 29: Photojournalism On The Front Line - Claire Thomas
September 13, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MBClaire Thomas is a photographer and photojournalist from Penygroes in South Wales. Her work on issues relating to global political and military conflicts, human rights, and humanitarian and environmental crises has earned her recognition at the 2017 British Journalism Awards, the 2018 UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards, and the 2018 Amnesty International UK Media Awards. From within the camps that emerged from the refugee crisis in Europe to the war against ISIS in Iraq, Claire has covered a r...
Episode 28: The First Virtual North American Festival of Wales - Dr Megan Williams
August 05, 2020 01:00 - 41 minutes - 28.4 MBOn this episode, Gideon and Richard chat with Dr Megan Williams from the Welsh North American Association about the upcoming annual North American Festival of Wales, a weekend long event that includes performances, poetry, literature, singing, dancing, seminars, a marketplace and an Eisteddfod. Sadly, due to the ongoing coronavirus threat, this year's entire event will be virtual, the first time in the festival's 91 year history. The good news is that anyone can now attend for free online whe...
Episode 27: The Road to Fun City - Rod Thomas (Bright Light Bright Light)
July 29, 2020 00:00 - 48 minutes - 33.3 MBRod Thomas (stage name Bright Light Bright Light) is an independent singer-songwriter from the outskirts of Neath in South Wales. His music is a combination of nu-disco, 80s synthpop, dance and house music. Over the past decade he has collaborated with Elton John, Jake Shears, Andy Bell of Erasure, and toured with Cher. Two of his albums have reached the Top 20 on the UK Independent Albums Chart and his upcoming, fourth album, ‘Fun City’, will be released this September. He is also the founde...
Episode 26: 90 Minutes of Freedom - Jamie Grundy
June 28, 2020 03:00 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBJamie Grundy is a former football coach and writer with a special focus on criminal justice, sport and rehabilitation. He is the author of 90 Minutes of Freedom, which follows HMP Prescoed FC, the only prisoner football team in Wales, through a single season in Gwent Central Division 2. The book was written with the support of 'National Sporting Heritage' as an exploration of how sport can assist in the rehabilitation efforts of prisoners. On this episode Gideon and Richard discuss the origi...
Episode 25: Going 'West' for Wales Week - Gwenllian Higginson and Gareth John Bale
March 04, 2020 15:45 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MBGwenllian Higginson is an actor and writer from North Pembrokeshire. Gareth John Bale is an actor and director from Ynysmeudwy in the Swansea Valleys. On this episode, Gideon and Richard discuss ‘West’, the play written by Owen Thomas that Gwenllian and Gareth came to New York to perform as part of Wales Week. They cover Gwenllian’s previous run of performances in New York, starring as Jackie in ‘The Good Earth’, as well as Gareth’s sensational one man play, ‘Grav’, depicting the life of rugb...
Episode 24: Fake News, The Perennial Founder, and the FBI - Jaz-Michael King
February 14, 2020 13:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBJaz-Michael King is a Chief Technology Officer and data privacy advocate. He the is founder of Tŵt (Toot) Wales, a new social media network built to encourage bilingualism online while providing a more private social media experience. Born in Cardiff, Jaz grew up in Llanilltud Fawr, South Glamorgan. After stints in England and France, he moved to New York in the mid-90s where his arrival coincided with the explosion of the internet. During this time, he ran a cybercafe in Brooklyn and built a...
Episode 23: 2019 Year in Review
December 21, 2019 21:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBJoined by Rachel John and Gwilyn Roberts-Harry from the New York Welsh, Gideon and Richard look back at the last 12 months. They discuss their favorite moments from the podcast, how the New York Welsh continues to evolve as an organization, and look ahead at what's to come in 2020.
Episode 22: Wyt ti'n siarad Cymraeg? Part II - Fate of the Language
November 14, 2019 02:00 - 1 hour - 46 MBIn the second of a two-part special episode Gideon and Richard pick up the story by looking at the catalyst for Welsh language activism in the 60s and 70s, the successes of the movement and the changes brought about by the establishing of the Welsh Assembly. With more contributions from special guest experts they learn about the sociological and neurological benefits of learning a second language and share some of the many tools for learning Welsh available today.
Episode 21: Wyt ti'n siarad Cymraeg? Part I - History of the Language
November 14, 2019 01:00 - 1 hour - 45.2 MBIn the first of a two-part special, Gideon and Richard ask, "Do you speak Welsh?”. They discuss the falling numbers of Welsh speakers and the various factors behind this decline. With contributions from special guest experts they delve into the history of Cymraeg, the roots of the language and how key events in history have impacted its usage—from the Roman Occupation, the English Reformation and the Industrial Revolution all the way to the 20th century.
Episode 20: Writing in the Footsteps of History - Peter Thabit Jones
October 01, 2019 01:00 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MBPeter Thabit Jones is a poet from Swansea in South Wales. He is the author of sixteen books and his poems have been translated into over twenty-two languages. He is the recipient of a number of awards, including the Arts Council of Wales Award, the Homer European Medal for Poetry and Art, and the Shabdaguchha Journal Poet of the Year Award for his contribution to international poetry. He has performed and given writing workshops at festivals such as the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts,...
Episode 19: Broadway Beginnings and Hanging Coats of the Rich and Famous - Chloe Wilson
August 30, 2019 00:00 - 53 minutes - 36.7 MBChloe Wilson is an actor and singer from the Rhondda. An accomplished soprano, she learned her craft in the choral traditions of the valleys. At 18 she auditioned for and was accepted in to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and — on completion of her studies — she was invited to stay on and join the Academy’s Company for 2018/19. Chloe recently performed in her first off-Broadway musical in New York, Ablaze, an a Capella “musical thriller” at The New Ohio Theatre. Richard and Gideon caug...
Episode 18: A Walking Tour of Greenwich Village - Dylan Thomas
July 30, 2019 22:00 - 1 hour - 48 MBDylan Thomas is one of the most recognisable Welsh names in the United States. He’s best known for his landmark poems such as ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ and ‘Death shall have no dominion’, his play for voices ‘Under Milk Wood’, and classic stories such as ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’. Born in Swansea in 1914, the legendary poet spent much of his life traveling back and forth between homes in London and Wales, yet to many he will always be associated with New York City. Between...
Episode 17: Creating Brands for Floyd Mayweather and Jay-Z - Ibby Tarafdar
June 27, 2019 14:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBIbby Tarafdar is a graphic designer from Cardiff. Born in Wales, he grew up in Gabalfa after his father emigrated to Wales from Bangladesh in the 1980s. Since completing his degree in Graphic Communication at the University of South Wales in 2014, Ibby has since created brand identities for numerous athletes signed to Mayweather Promotions and Jay Z’s Roc Nation. His designs have featured alongside globally recognized brands like Under Armor and Puma and have been televised worldwide. On this...
Episode 16: A Walk in the Park and the Small Matter of Trying to Change the World - Dr Denny Taylor
May 30, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 44 MBDr Denny Taylor is an author, researcher and educator living in New York City. She has published 19 books—fiction and nonfiction—and is a co-founder of Garn Press, a publishing house with a focus on social conscience. Denny is widely credited with giving rise to family literacy, a concept UNESCO uses today as an organizing principle for supporting vulnerable populations all over the world. In 2004, she was elected Member of the International Reading Association’s Reading Hall of Fame and has...
Episode 15: From the Outskirts of Cardiff to Starting Fly-Half for the USA - James Bird
March 28, 2019 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MBJames Bird is a rugby player and management consultant. He is a fly-half for New York based Old Blue RFC, who he has played for since moving to the US in 2013. In 2016 he became eligible for and represented the US national team in the Americas Rugby Championship, the American equivalent of the Six Nations. On this episode, Richard and Gideon talk about the growing game in the US, the challenges of balancing a demanding rugby schedule with a corporate career, and where to get married if you’re...
Episode 14: Three Billboards Outside The Rhondda Valley - Matthew Hitt
March 06, 2019 15:00 - 49 minutes - 33.7 MBMatthew Hitt is a singer and songwriter from the Rhondda Valley in South Wales. He is the front man of Drowners, an American-Welsh indie rock band based out of New York. Formed in 2011, the band signed for Frenchkiss Records and released their self-titled studio album in May 2013. After seven years performing and touring the world and one more studio album, the band announced a hiatus last year, prompting Matt to produce his first solo record. On this episode, Richard and Gideon chat to Matt ...
Episode 13: A Musical Education, Composing for Commercials and a Knight to Remember - Karl Jenkins
January 28, 2019 22:00 - 52 minutes - 36 MBSir Karl Jenkins is a musician and composer from Penclawdd on the Gower Peninsula. He was knighted in the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours List. From his early days in jazz and prog rock he has gone on to become the most performed living composer in the world. His canon of work transcends genre or classification and now includes 17 gold and platinum discs. His work The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace has been in the UK charts for 15 years, and was performed at the Lincoln Center New York on the 10th...
Episode 12: John Lewis Christmas Ads, Closing the Gender Gap, and Marketing Marijuana - Sarah Collinson
December 19, 2018 03:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBSarah Collinson is Head of Account Management at Joan, a startup creative agency based in NYC that works with Google and YouTube. Prior to joining Joan, Sarah spent 4 years at world-renowned advertising agency Anomaly where, among other things, she helped create one of the most highly-acclaimed cannabis brands in the world today. Originating from Swansea, she studied History at Oxford before moving to London, and later New York, to build a successful career in advertising. On this episode, Ri...
Episode 11: The Royal Wedding, Christmas No.1, and How To Get to Carnegie Hall - Paul Mealor
November 16, 2018 11:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBPaul Mealor has been described in the New York Times as, the most important person to emerge in Welsh music since William Mathias. He rose to global attention when his motet Ubi Caritas et Amor was performed at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. That same year he became the first classical composer to hold both the classical and pop chart No 1’s at the same time while his single, ‘Wherever You Are’, a piece for The Military Wives Choir, reached UK Christmas No 1. ...
Episode 10: Behind the Scenes at Peppa Pig and Publishing a First Children's Book - Jemima Williams
November 01, 2018 03:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBJemima Williams a NY-based illustrator from Aberystwyth in South Wales. Prior to moving to the US she worked for eight years as a designer for the children’s television program Peppa Pig. Jemima recently finished her first children’s book ‘Hibernate with Me’, a collaboration with singer-songwriter (and her husband), Benjamin Scheuer, which will be published in early 2019. She is currenlty working on her second book, to be released later next year. On this episode, Richard & Gideon discuss wha...
Episode 9: Mixing, Maracas, and Marching on The Streets of Cardiff - Davey Newington
October 18, 2018 03:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBDavey Newington is a musician and front man of Cardiff band Boy Azooga. Their debut album ‘1, 2 King Fu!’ was released earlier this year, ahead of the band’s transatlantic tour, including a stop at Rough Trade in Brooklyn on October 24. Boy Azooga burst onto the scene in 2017 with their breakout hit, ‘Face Behind Her Cigarette’, which NME called “a total firecracker, with its mammoth riffs and splashy harmonies, all punctuated by stomping sleigh-bells.” Since then, they’ve performed all over ...
Episode 8: Big Dreams, Broken Toes, and How Not to Style a Chimpanzee - Emma Pritchard
October 03, 2018 01:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBEmma Pritchard is a Fashion stylist from Pontypool. After graduating with a degree in Fashion & Design from University of Wales, Emma swapped the UK for Asia to embark on a career in advertising. Emma ended up spending 9 years in Singapore, initially working as an Art Director on brands such as Elizabeth Arden, Guess and DeBeers, and later as a stylist. In 2006, she relocated to New York where she’s since amassed impressive portfolio and roster of loyal clients including, Puma, Cadillac, L’Or...
Episode 7: Immersive Theatre, Reading Reviews and Dodging Chocolate Mousse - Tom Chandler
September 19, 2018 15:00 - 41 minutes - 29.2 MBTom Chandler is a Welsh actor from Penarth in South Wales. He currently plays Begbie in the Off-Broadway show, Trainspotting Live. The play is an adaptation of the 1993 book by Irvine Welsh about the struggles of a group heroin addicted friends living in Edinburgh, most widely known for the 1996 film of the same name. What makes Transporting Live so unique is its immersive nature. With no 'fourth wall' the actors are free to interact with the audience throughout the performance. The play init...
Episode 6: Designing for the Future - Gareth TW Rees
September 06, 2018 20:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBGareth is a multi-disciplinary designer based in Nuremberg, working on the ‘Futures’ design team for Adidas. This summer, Gareth was selected to participate in Adidas’s annual design program in New York, working alongside other star designers from around the world. On the episode, Gareth tells the boys how he finds his inspiration, his philosophy on seizing opportunities, and how he grew up in Capel Hendre wanting to be a mechanic but ended up designing cars in Japan.
Episode 5: Overcoming Roadblocks and Making Movies That Matter - Claire Fowler
August 22, 2018 09:00 - 48 minutes - 33.3 MBWriter-director Claire Fowler is a filmmaker from North Wales, based in New York City. Her most recent short, ‘Salam’, a film about a Syrian female Lyft driver on a night shift in New York City, had its World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. After studying at Oxford University and the Royal College of Art, Claire made a name for herself after making a number of human rights-themed documentary films, including ‘Open Heart’ an emotional journey that highlights the plight of the strug...
Episode 4: A Scottish Play, an American Dream, and a Welsh Window - Hywel John
August 08, 2018 01:00 - 56 minutes - 39 MBHywel John grew up in West Wales, and London. He attended Bristol University and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After initially coming to New York in 2008 as an actor, appearing in Rupert Goold’s production of Macbeth—alongside Sir Patrick Stewart—Hywel moved to the United States permantly in 2014 to further his career as a playwright and screenwriter. His plays have been professionally staged all around the world: in Wales, Edinburgh, Finland, Denmark, New York and ...
Episode 3: Making a Movie With a Cast of Professional Drunks - Cian Llewellyn
July 25, 2018 02:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBOn this episode, the boys speak to Cian Llewellyn, an actor, producer and director, whose debut short recently screened in cinemas across the United States. Based upon Dylan Thomas' short story, ‘The Outing’ features a cast of untrained actors who, guided by Cian, come together in this quirky yet memorable short film. Richard and Gideon probe Cian on his unique methods and discuss his own unlikely journey to the big screen.
Episode 2: From Llanelli to the White House: Designing With Purpose - Lucy Jones
July 13, 2018 14:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBLucy Jones is an award-winning designer and entrepreneur with a unique focus on addressing the needs of those in society often ignored in the traditional fashion design process. Originally from South Wales, Lucy came to New York to study fashion at the world-renowned Parsons Schools of Design, whose alumni include the likes of Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Joel Schumacher and Paul Rand. After being awarded Parsons’ Womenswear Designer of the year Class of 2015, Lucy began to attract national attenti...
Episode 1: Sunken Hundred, New York in the 90s, and Living Through 9/11 - Illtyd Barrett:
July 12, 2018 03:00 - 55 minutes - 38.8 MBIlltyd Barrett came to New York in the 90s with the intention of experiencing the good, the bad and the ugly side of a city that would come to be his home for the next two decades. After years of feeling like the only Welsh person in the city, the artist and musician, decided he wanted to create a bar and restaurant that would be a beacon of Wales across the Atlantic. In 2016 Illtyd and his brother Dom opened the doors of the Sunken Hundred—named after the mythical lost kingdom submerged by t...
Trailer
July 04, 2018 23:15 - 2 minutes - 2.05 MBA window into the lives and achievements of Welsh people in New York. Hosted by Gideon Jensen and Richard Swain, each episode features a different guest and their unique story. Often funny, sometimes sad, but always honest and inspirational. Mewnwelediad i fywydau a chyflawniadau y Cymry yn Efrog Newydd. Wedi’i chynnal gan Gideon Jensen a Richard Swain, mae pob pennod yn taro sylw ar westeion gwahanol a’u hanes unigryw. Yn aml yn ddoniol, weithiau’n drist, ond bob amser yn onest ac yn ysbry...